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The Noodle 100 · make it at home

Khao soi: Chiang Mai curry noodles with chicken

1 hr 15 min · 4 bowls

Northern Thailand's curry noodle soup: egg noodles in a coconut curry, chicken legs braised soft, and a nest of crispy fried noodles on top. Pickled mustard greens, shallots and lime cut the richness.

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The real one

You need

• For the paste: 5 dried chilies soaked, 4 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 3 cm ginger, 2 cm turmeric, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 3 black cardamom pods' seeds, 1 tbsp curry powder
• 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) coconut milk, 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
• 4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)
• To season: 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp palm sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 500 g (1 lb) fresh flat egg noodles; oil for frying
• To serve: pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime wedges, chili oil, cilantro

How to make it

1. Paste (10 min): Toast the coriander, cumin and cardamom in a dry pan and grind. Blend with the rest of the paste ingredients until smooth.
2. Curry (45 min): Boil 250 ml (1 cup) of the thick coconut cream until it splits and the oil shows, add the paste and fry 5 minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken, turn to coat, then add the rest of the coconut milk and the stock. Simmer gently 40 minutes until the chicken is tender. Season with fish sauce, sugar and soy.
3. Crispy noodles (5 min): Fry a handful of the raw noodles in 2 cm of hot oil until golden and crisp, 1 minute. Drain.
4. Build (5 min): Boil the rest of the noodles 2 to 3 minutes, divide among bowls, add a chicken leg and plenty of curry, and top with the crisp noodles. Pickles, shallots, lime and chili oil at the table.

Tips

• Beef khao soi: braise chunks of shin 2 hours instead of the chicken.
• A squeeze of lime at the table changes the whole bowl; don't skip it.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.